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Background
OCLC provides a number of useful resources that can help our MULS participating
libraries with Local Holdings work. All of these resources include online
information available through the OCLC Web site.
Remember that as the Regional Service Provider for OCLC products and services,
our office is the place to contact if you have questions about OCLC products
and services or need assistance with OCLC services. Our MULS unit staff can
answer questions related to Local Holdings Records (LHRs) and the process of
Local Holdings Maintenance (LHM). For questions related to other OCLC products
and services, other MINITEX staff may be more helpful.
OCLC Documentation Related to Local Holdings
OCLC provides both online and print documentation for Local Holdings maintenance
in the Connexion Browser. Current documents include:
Local Holdings Maintenance Quick Reference
This eight-page summary contains the basic information you need to maintain
accurate Local Holdings Records (LHRs) for your library. It covers searching for
LHRs; the appropriate commands for editing, creating and deleting records; and
a summary of information contained in the various fields that make up the LHR.
If you would like a no-charge, full-color copy of the printed version of this
Quick Reference, please contact us and ask for product code REF1112.
MARC 21 Format for Holdings Data (MFHD) Primer
This 24-page summary of MFHD structure contains examples of how MFHD fields are
used to represent local holdings in the LHR. While it lacks the detail of the
full MARC21 Format for Holdings document, it covers most basic questions.
As an additional resource to help libraries working with MARC 21 Format for
Holdings Data in OCLC, we have created a MFHD FAQ, which you may also consult.
OCLC Online Tutorials
OCLC provides a set of online tutorials to help library staff members maintain
their library's Local Holdings Records (LHRs) through the Connexion Browser. They
run automatically through a series of demonstrations, but playback controls allow
viewers to pause, go back or skip ahead through the screens at their own pace.
The tutorials cover a range of LHR maintenance activities, including:
- "Searching WorldCat for Local Holdings Records"
- "OCLC Local Holdings Maintenance, Overview"
- "How to Maintain Local Holdings Records"
- "How to Create Local Holdings Records"
System requirements for these OCLC tutorials are listed at the bottom of the OCLC
Web page.
Local Holdings Batch Updating Service
OCLC provides a service that allows output from libraries' local systems to be
used as the basis for a batch update of Local Holdings Records in OCLC. If your
local library system can produce file of summary holdings information that meets
certain specifications, that data can be used to update and create LHRs for your
library in WorldCat.
Access to OCLC
If you have difficulty accessing the Connexion Browser functions that allow you
to maintain your library's LHRs, there may be a problem with the authorization
you are using. As part of the migration from Passport to Connexion, old
authorizations and passwords were upgraded to allow continued access to LHR
editing functions. Some authorizations, however, did not get upgraded to allow
full access to LHR maintenance commands.
Our staff can check your authorization to ensure that it is set for full access
to LHR maintenance functions. If there are problems, we can help you upgrade
your authorization via an OCLC Web form. Contact us for more information.